1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is in the field of network computer client devices (NCs) which rely upon a network connection to supply all necessary program files and data files. The present invention operates in an environment in which a relationship server is a central contact point for all NCs. Specifically, the present invention addresses the desire of NC manufacturers to authorize usage of their NCs only to connect to certain specific internet service providers (ISPs).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In a network-centric computing environment, the three major computing components are a network computer client device (NC), a server device, and a smart card. The NC does not contain a hard disk, and therefore relies upon a network connection for virtually all program and data. Therefore, the NC needs the server device for booting security, file storage, and system management. The smart card is used to identify and authenticate a particular user and to carry individual information about the user. The user combines his smart card with an NC to access his logical workspace from the NC.
In the network-centric computing environment, there are several business entities. An internet service provider (ISP) is the entity with which the user has an agreement to provide basic server resources. An internet access provider (IAP) is an entity with which the ISP has a relationship for provision of its internet protocol (IP) address to enable users to connect to the internet. An ISP may function as its own IAP. An NC client device manufacturer builds NCs.
The various NC client device manufacturer desire the ability to control the ISPs to which their NCs can connect.